Starscape Raindrops
by shadowdart
Summary: Two years after the war's end. Avatar Aang reflects on his life while watching the sunset.
1. Starscape

This is my first fanfic ever, so I would appreciate some feedback. Also, this is only the first part of the projected story. So, if I get 5 good reviews asking for more, I will finish it.

Needless to say, I do not own the characters, world, and the places in this story. I don't own AtLA because if I did, Toph would have had some romantic entanglement in the show.

The sky was aflame with the colors of another waning day as sunset approached marking the end of the summer day. The Avatar watched the sun slowly disappear under the infinite ocean horizon as he lazily lay on top of the ridge which gave him an unobstructed view of the beautiful sight. He sat there reminiscing about the previous years. Over two years ago, Aang and his friends defeated Fire Lord Ozai, stopped the fleet of airships and ushered in a new era of peace. However, ushering an era was not a simple task.

Aang started his political career immediately after the defeat of Ozai. It didn't last long. It was hard for him to determine what really made him leave politics. Maybe it was the need to follow the consistent schedule of being in said city by this time then flying across the world for the next meeting and the long, boring meetings lasting hours. Maybe it was the infuriating loopholes and ploys that he had to cut through. Regardless, he left to journey the world, like he did a hundred years ago.

Fire Lord Zuko had his hands full with the Insurrection, a rebel group loyal to the Phoenix King. After a year and eight months of spies, stings and other such undercover operations; the Insurrection leader was finally apprehended. Within three weeks, the organization fell apart. There was continued dissent for Zuko and his leadership, but such was the life of a politician.

Sokka took over as leader of the Southern Water Tribe and took Suki as his wife. The wedding was a few days before Polar night which Aang envied because whenever he saw a sunset, like the one he saw now, it would forever be associated with the day long sunset of Sokka and Suki's beautiful wedding.

Katara returned home. She was homesick and had grown tired of nomadic life. Aang had suffered from separation anxiety and had to return to the south pole every few weeks for almost a year. Katara tried to convince Aang to stay but he had been a nomad all his life. His life was always a journey and never a destination.

Toph returned home after everyone else had left and after a few hours, she promptly ran away again. She caught up with the Avatar hours after he had left her in Gaoling. When he left her there, he felt remarkably hallow. It was the second time in his life he felt all alone, the first being when he ran away that faithful night.

As he sat there watching the stars blink into existence, he thought about how lucky he was that he didn't feel that way now. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt someone approach him from behind.

"Enjoying your personal time, Twinkle Toes?" Toph inquired as she approached him.

"Not really..." Aang responded.

"Well, you won't mind fixing me my dinner then." Toph said in her matter of fact tone.

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, alright. I'll fix us some dried seaweed and rice," he said as he walked back to camp.

Aang watched as Toph grimaced "Ugh... Again? I miss Sokka and his meat packed menu..." The earthbender whined.

Aang laughed. "You must really hate my seaweed and rice if you miss Sokka's 'meat packed' cooking."

An hour later, Toph was rinsing off the last of the dishes while Aang airbended them dry and put them away in their proper bag. It was routine; flying, camp setup, training, meals, sleep, pack up, and repeat. It suited them both just fine. For Toph, it meant freedom; the one thing her parents deprived her of and, therefore, the only thing she desired. For Aang, it was a return to what he was before he was the boy in the iceberg; an air nomad. He no longer had to worry about an impending showdown or ridiculous politics.

The were headed to Omashu for an earthbending rematch with King Bumi. Every few months or so, Toph returned to give Bumi another chance to beat the greatest earthbender in the world. Aang grew more and more concerned for the health of his old friend, especially with the force of the boulders Toph threw. He knew from experience how much damage they did.

By now there was a roaring fire that sent a thick smoke cyclone straight into the star filled sky. The two bending masters rolled out their sleeping bags and settled in. Toph had stopped building her earth tents so as not to interrupt Aang's favorite time of the day, star gazing.

Toph didn't see how small dots in the sky would be so remarkable that Aang would look forward to it everyday. Not that she didn't try to understand. Every so often, when they laid down for sleep; she would ask Aang, "What is it about stars that you like so much?"

After probably a hundred times of being asked that question, it still surprised the young Avatar how he could not answer her. "I don't know... I guess I like it because I'm supposed to."

"What kind of answer is that?" Toph asked. She sat upright in mock outrage. "Why do I gotta stop building my earth tents so you can gaze out for a reason you can't explain."

"I never said you had to stop making your earth tents." Aang replied. "In fact, I don't know why you stopped."

Toph face palmed inside her mind. She was being considerate because now that it was just her and Aang, she didn't feel the need to shut the world out. But she didn't want to admit to Aang that he was different from everybody else. "Well, I guess I'll throw one up." Which she did, immediately.

"It really is a shame. I think you would really love the starlight." Aang said moving on.

"Oh no. I can't see a bunch of dots millions of miles away. How will I survive?" Toph replied, sarcastically.

"Good night, Toph." Aang said smiling.

"Good night, Aang." Toph whispered so that he couldn't hear.


	2. Flashback

Back again. Once again, first fic. Probably my last after I finish writing this one. One last chapter planned. I know this one seems kinda sappy. I apologize. I am a hopeless romantic. I changed the time line in the last chapter to make myself happy. If I messed up the validity of my story please correct me. Anyways, I don't own anything in this story besides the word galvanize. Read and Review.

The sun was already up when the young Avatar awoke that morning. He set about packing up the few thing they had left out the night before. He knew that Toph was awake. She always awoke when he set about packing up. It didn't really matter to the Avatar that much. It just meant that Toph was cleaning up next time. 'Hopefully, there will be a next time.'

Six Months Prior.

The Air was thick with tension. A poised waterbending master sat opposite the greatest earthbender in the world. The auras they had were so intense, they could have burned through the walls of Ba Sing Se. Zuko feared that the would be inferno would dwarf the flames he controlled during the day of the Comet's passing. But these two were always like this when they got together.

It was Katara who finally broke the silence. "You still won't concede?" She chuckled to unnerve the girl. "Still stubborn little Toph. Still don't know when you've been beat." She continued, condescendingly.

"I still have a few tricks up my sleeves," Toph explained calmly as she slammed down another Pai Sho tile. Her attitude was stoic yet was still eerily intense. Aang felt less anxious when he and Zuko had come face to face with the last of the Dragons.

Katara felt confident in her win but still didn't let up her guard as she connected her pieces while separating Toph's pieces. "Your move."

Toph on the hand had not changed in disposition had not altered one iota since the beginning of the match which gave Katara a nagging feeling. Like Toph had already decided her next move but she was waiting for Katara to unravel it beforehand, like it was Katara moving for her.

As Katara thought this over, Toph reached over the table to identify the piece Katara had played; she had etched carvings into the back of her own set to help her do so. After a smug "humph", Toph played her next move, right where Katara thought she would. Yet, she didn't understand the move, which unsettled her even more. She decided to play it safe and played to strengthen her pieces instead of attacking Toph's projected territory. However, before she could recoil her hand completely away from the table, Toph's next tile had already hit the board.

Its location, once again, completely perplexed Katara. She played again reinforcing her battlements. As she thought of all the possible tiles Toph could have and where she could deploy them, she figured out what Toph was doing. She was setting up the board for the fabled White Lotus.

As the thought crossed her mind, Toph finally deployed her trump card (tile). The White Lotus would be able to puncture her wall of pieces and would effectively reduce Katara's territory. As Katara worked out the next 10 moves, Toph retrieved her Lotus tile and replaced it with a battlement and grinned as she accepted defeat.

"Toph, where did you get that tile piece?" Zuko asked. "I thought only members of the Order had pieces."

"That's true. Think of it as a membership card." Toph said beaming.

"But, that must mean..." Zuko started.

"Toph, I thought you said you weren't going to tell anyone." Aang complained.

"Relax, sourpuss. I think our secret is safe with them." Toph responded.

"Our?" Sokka pointed out after finally joining the conversation.

"Maybe not all of them." Toph corrected.

"You are both members of the Order of the White Lotus?" Zuko asked surprised.

"Why are you so surprised?" Aang asked back. "I thought with Iroh as a Grand Master, you would have been initiated a long time ago."

"No. I'm too busy with duties as Fire Lord." Zuko explained. "Besides I think of our gang as our own order."

"That sounded a little too sentimental, especially from someone like you Sparky," Toph joked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zuko asked, insulted.

"I can understand Aang being in the Order," Katara interrupted, "but why did you join, Toph? I thought you weren't interested in beauty and truth."

"I'm not, but anything is better than that prison." Toph spat out the word prison.

"I don't get why Toph gets initiated, meanwhile, I'm left out in the cold by Grandpa Paku and Master Piandao," Sokka complained.

"Wow, thanks Sokka that makes me feel great," Toph stated sarcastically.

"I thought you were initiated, Sokka. Didn't Master Piandao give you a Lotus tile after your training?" Aang asked quizzically. "That's all that's needed to join the ranks of the Order."

"WHAT? I'VE BEEN A MEMBER THIS WHOLE TIME AND DIDN'T KNOW?" Sokka exploded. " I gotta find my Lotus Tile!" He said before he ran off to his room.

"I gotta go too," Zuko said. "I got a few more jobs in town before we return home tomorrow morning. Sorry if I don't see you after, gotta a rebellion to deal with." He said while walking away.

"I'll go with you." Toph said eagerly. "I have been waiting for an opportunity to get my life changing adventure with Zuko."

Aang watched as they left and he felt a twinge of something he hadn't felt in a long time, jealousy. As he watched them leave, Katara watched him watching and she saw what was going through his mind.

"So, Aang. How have you been?" Katara asked.

"Not much. Just traveling around, helping the people I can. Not as glorious as our old adventures but a lot more relaxing." Aang recapped.

"How so?" Katara asked mostly to ask, she knew the answer.

"No ultimatum hanging over my head." Aang explained. "I can look at someone and remember their name and not have to worry about my future or if they won't be alive the next time I return. Its nice to return somewhere and find the person you remember hasn't changed." Aang smiled but Katara could see the sadness behind his eyes. The guru had taught Aang how to let go of his grief of leaving his people and what it led to, but he knew it would always be with him.

"Aang, I think you should settle down and try to start a life and a family." Katara said. She knew that Aang knew that they could never be together. But, she also knew that Aang had changed. She did not know that it was because he had lost balance within himself. Just like when his chakra locked up when he refused to let Katara go, his personality had been locked up when he realized that they could never be. He had lost his reason to let go of his guilt and, like a dam breaking, it all came rushing at him. He had to submerge all that guilt so that way he could be the Avatar.

"I can't Katara, you know that." Aang said mostly to convince himself. "I am a nomad. The last of my people. I have to continue our legacy."

"Alone?" Katara asked sympathetically.

"I'm not alone. I have Toph with me." Aang said not knowing where Katara was going with this.

"For now. But someday she's gonna get tired of traveling. She's an earthbender and earthbenders don't bend atop sky bison." Katara said as nice yet as sharp as possible. "In the end, she's going to find something to keep her earthbound."

"Its alright, I have Roku and Kyoshi with me too." Aang said trying to blow off what Katara was hammering home.

"Aang..." Katara approached the avatar, put her hand on his shoulder and asked, "Is it enough?"

"Not like her." Aang could only answer thus. The same way he had the night she left with them. "Not like her..."


	3. Raindrops

Appa flew at a decent speed over the rapidly changing seascape. Momo decided to spread his wings and fly alongside the two ton flying behemoth. A few times he flew directly over Toph so she could feel the sudden, subtle wisps of air that hit her. Aang decided to get in on the cavalcade of flying, so he dive bombed off of Appa and into the sky sea with his usual enthusiastic exclamation, "YEAH!"

'Great.' Toph thought sarcastically. 'Surrounded by fliers without a single piece of Earth to chuck at them with.' Toph despised flying because it was the only time she was away from her element. It was kinda depressing voluntarily blinding herself every time they took off. She would rather walk from the fire nation capital to Ba Sing Se then fly for an hour. The only thing that kept her airborne was the fact that she had no where else to go. That and the occasional town saving adventure that increased her reputation as the greatest earthbender ever.

Not so long later Momo and Aang returned to the house sized saddle mounted atop Appa. Momo rested up against Toph in the back while Aang took his place at the reins. After another hour or so of flight, Aang spotted storm clouds on the horizon. They reminded him of the stormy night that Sokka was almost lost at sea. Actually the clouds looked just like the did that day. He decided to land on the island they were fast approaching.

After they landed, Aang and Toph set up their supplies so they could bend an earth tent to keep them dry. After that the setup another tent for the two of them and Momo. With that done, they set out to search for wood, food and water. They returned with a few mushrooms, a generous supply of berries, and a canteen full of water from a nearby stream.

When it started the rain, Aang gathered the falling drops into a sphere of water around their camp. After twenty minutes of gathering water, Aang flash froze the bubble to provide the flying family and their earthbending adoption a rain free camp at least until the frozen bubble melt which Aang knew would rapidly approach thanks to the weather's increasing intensity. Aang feared that the severe storm would evolve into a typhoon. Even the Avatar didn't have the power to stop a storm that ripped trees out of them ground and sent them miles away.

At this particular moment Aang thought of his conversation with Katara. While he knew it had upset him, he still did not know why. Maybe it was just anxiety of being alone. The only time he had been alone since he came to the future was when he dropped Toph off at Gaoling. Those miserable hours before she caught back up to him were fresh in his mind. In fact the memory was his most prominent thought recently.

"Hey Twinkletoes." Toph pulled Aang from his thoughts. "Can I get some food?"

"Sure, I'll be back in a bit." When he left, Toph thought about her future. She knew that she wanted to stay with Aang. She cared for him more than any other person, any creature on this Earth. ' Is that not love?' She thought. She thought it was kind of unfair that she had to sacrifice her vision every time Aang returned to the skies. But every time she left her element, she missed it less and less. The space Earth Sokka had given her had helped significantly. She had grown used to using it to practice while flying.

Suddenly, Toph felt rain fall above her on the Earth tent and all around her. Perplexed, she left her tent and felt Aang standing at the center of the camp. The rain fell hard on her and she was soaked within seconds. She approached Aang. "What's going on, Twinkletoes?"

"I just had a thought. I wanted to show what stars are like." Aang said in his usual airy, chirpy voice.

"Stars?" Toph asked puzzled. She continued slightly annoyed, "Are you going to give me sight?"

"No." Aang replied. He continued, "But I will give you a moment." He used his waterbending to hold back the rain so it did not hit the ground. "Save the image you see when the raindrops hit the ground and you will see what I see in the sky."

With that he released his hold on the water and the drop hit the ground and for one instant Aang saw a beautiful starscape with the earthbending vision Toph had taught him. He hoped she appreciated what she saw.

"This is why I love you, Aang." Toph said softly and happily. When she said that, it all clicked together for Aang and he realized what he knew deep down. He loved her too. Whether he was too scared to admit it because he feared it would drive her away or if he was still scarred by his first love for Katara and how she left him; he now realized that he wanted to risk it all on his next words.

"I love you too, Toph." As the rain fell hard, they both ignored it and reached each other. As their lips grew closer, time slowed until the moment they touched. When they did, something exploded in both their hearts, like fireworks. They pulled away slightly and Aang open his eyes to see that Toph was smiling.

While he caressed her face with his fingers, he said in a cocky tone, "I've never seen you this quiet before."

"Shut up and kiss me Aang." Toph said mock annoyed.

"With pleasure."


End file.
